New York State’s Annual Burn Ban Returns, Here’s When It Starts in 2026

Does New York State Have a Yearly Burn Ban?

Every year as the weather begins to dry out and March rolls on, New York State implements its yearly Burn Ban.

The yearly Burn Ban was first introduced back in 2009 with "strict restrictions on opening burning." These restrictions according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation were to help prevent wildfires and reduce air pollution.

The DEC explains that the regulations "allow residential brush fires in towns with fewer than 20,000 residents during most of the year, but prohibit such burning in spring when most wildfires occur."

While it's obviously difficult to predict when wildfire will occur, the yearly burn ban goes into effect at some point in March.

With that being said, the NYS DEC has announced this years Burn Ban date.

When Will the 2026 New York State Burn Ban Go into Effect?

NEWS10 in Albany is reporting that this years NYS DEC Burn Ban will be in effect from March 16th through May 14th.

When the burn ban goes into effect, there are a few rules to keep in mind.

Burning sticks, brush, leaves and branches is prohibited during the burn ban.

READ MORE: Upstate, NY Firefighters Help Hudson Valley Battle Wildfire Blaze

Residents are allowed to burn tree limbs and branches less that 6 inches in diameter in towns with populations under 20,000. Small cooking and campfires less than 3 feet high and 4 feet in length is also allowed, all while using clean and untreated wood only. 

While the burn ban is in effect from March 16th through May 14th, burning your garbage or leaves is prohibited year-round in New York State.

The DEC reminds residents "People should never leave these fires unattended and must extinguish them."

New York State Wildfire

When people think wildfires, they usually think out west in California and while yes the climate out there makes wildfires more common, the east coast also experiences dangerous wildfires from time to time.

In 2024 the Jennings Creek Wildfire burned through over 5,000 acres of land through parts of the Hudson Valley and New Jersey. Sadly, 18-year-old parks employee Daniel Vasquez lost his life while battling the blaze.

The Jennings Creek Wildfire was knocked down after 14 days.

The worst wildfire in New York State history was back in 1903 The Great Adirondack Fire. The wildfire last 6 weeks and burned around 600,000 acres of land.

Read More: What Was New York State's Biggest Wildfire of All Time?

Reports indicate that the fire was initially started by a farmer burning old vegetation in  a field before planting.